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Beth Jester

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Aug
21
2019

Jenison/Hudsonville’s Spark Program Will Open In Additional Schools with $10,000 Donation from Egan $100k Community Giveaway

Grand Rapids, Mich., August 21, 2019—Mechanical contractor and fabricator Andy J. Egan Co. (Egan) announced yesterday its donation of $10,000 to Rise Community Center for its Spark Program, an afterschool program in Jenison and Hudsonville elementary schools that serves often marginalized students. The donation is part of the Egan $100k Giveaway, a yearlong celebration of Egan’s 100th Anniversary during which the company is contributing $100,000 to West Michigan charities.

Spark currently operates in five schools, where faculty identify high-risk students to participate in the program based on the following criteria: students who are 1) living below the poverty threshold and at risk of repeating a cycle of poverty, 2) falling behind academically, 3) struggling to develop peer relationships or 4) experiencing adverse home-life situations. With the $10,000 donation, Spark will add two new schools to its program.

“Statistics tell us that 20-45% (depending on which elementary) of area students hover around or below the poverty threshold,” says Shana DeWent, Founder of Rise Community Center and Spark. “But it’s not easy to track students who are struggling with peer relationships, currently in foster care, or dealing with abuse, a divorce or learning disorder. School personnel help us identify students who need Spark the most, and we work to develop their leadership skills, build community and overcome the obstacles that life has placed before them.”

The expansion of Spark into additional school will enroll between 20 and 40 additional students, but will also impact these students’ families, says DeWent. Spark alleviates the cost of childcare – which often exceeds the cost of mortgage or rent – because it is a tuition-free program. This allows struggling families to get ahead and break the cycle of poverty.

“Spark is so unique in its approach to impacting the lives of students and their families,” says Beth Jester, spokesperson for Egan. “Their work to reach students on the margins and build community through relationships and other resources is a model that Egan is excited to help grow.”

For more information on the Spark and Rise Community Center, visit www.risecommunitycenter.org. Egan will continue to announce the area charities selected to receive a $10,000 donation each month through November. Recipients will be listed at www.Egan100.com, as well as on the company’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram pages. For more information on the Egan $100k Community Giveaway, visit www.Egan100.com or email egan100@andyegan.com.